


Reflections

by Veilder



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: (I'm tagging it anyway), (does this qualify as a mermaid!AU?), Blood and Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, DPD Squad, Eventual Happy Ending, Found Family, Gavin Reed Not Being an Asshole, Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Romance, M/M, Medical Experimentation, MerMay 2020, POV Gavin Reed, RK Bros 4 Life, Sea Monster!Connor, mermaid!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 10:22:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24469435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veilder/pseuds/Veilder
Summary: Corporal Gavin Reed didn't expect much when he was assigned to the CyberLife security detail sailing aboard theU.S.S. Jericho.A few months at sea, some boring patrols and a decent paycheck? Yeah, he was all in. He certainly didn't expect to uncover a high-stakes conspiracy going on right under all their noses.But most of all, he didn't expect to fall in love.
Relationships: Connor/Gavin Reed
Comments: 56
Kudos: 113





	1. Dark Waters

**Author's Note:**

> Alright! Juuust managed to squeeze this in right at the end of the month but I made it!! Happy MerMay, everyone!
> 
> Now, as the tags suggest, this isn't exactly a traditional mer story. It's been suggested to me that it might be _The Shape of Water_ -esque? I don't actually know, I've never seen that movie? Lol, lemme know in a comment how close I am. XD
> 
> Huge thank you to the wonderful [sheepishwolfy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheepishwolfy/pseuds/sheepishwolfy) who has been just the best sounding board for this and also pretty much went full beta for me, too? Lol, you can thank her for me not rambling through my prose as much as usual! XD
> 
> Hope you enjoy! ^_^

The silver moon hung full and heavy in the star-strewn sky, its pale rays painting undulating patterns across a quiet sea. A westward breeze gently skipped across the vast, watery expanse and easy waves lapped the surface. Beneath the waters, life teemed in roving shoals and pods, in hardy kelp and colorful coral, in rays and eels, algae and jellyfish and a host of other living things.  
  
Nestled within the ever-swirling seafoam, a large ship straddled the horizon, _U.S.S. Jericho_ emblazoned on prow and stern. Even at such a late hour steady patrols roved the ship as it cut steadily along its route. From gleaming armaments to naval flags, the _Jericho_ held herself at the ready to face any threat she should encounter, both without and within.   
  
Following the twisting passageways of segmented steel, the vessel sounded its displeasure to any who would listen. She creaked and groaned in the bobbing surf, the sound of stretching, straining metal a constant there in the belly of the ship. The research deck far below was not immune, specially reinforced to harbor its mysterious passengers though it was. There within, a steady clicking accompanied the warping ambiance, an irregular, staccato rap, high-pitched and crystalline. A dim, blue glow mingled in flashes with the bright halogens overhead, isolated pockets peeking out from behind closed doors and shuttered testing stations. Overhead, the lights had been dimmed for the night and their ambient glow cast the open area in uneven swathes of shadow, the chromatic refractions diffusing through various tanks and test tubes, across polished metal tables and through state-of-the-art computer modules. Not a thing stirred amongst the meticulously labelled specimens along the far wall. The cages were curtained off for the night and the reinforced glass habitats had been dimmed. The ship rocked with the waves in a steady motion but otherwise all was still.   
  
And Corporal Gavin Reed, CyberLife private security detail, was _bored._  
  
With what must’ve been his hundredth sigh of the night, the man adjusted his stance, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he held his weary vigilance there beside the main entrance. Bedecked in dark clothing and fitted, armored padding, he made for a rather conspicuous figure shadowed against the blindingly-white bulkheads. Even with the lights turned low, he was still highly visible and the exposed feeling it gave him always set his teeth on edge. This was not his element. This was not _any_ of his squadron’s element. And he resented the fact that he was now stuck down here indefinitely all because of a stupid fight.   
  
Guard duty, Fowler had said. “You’re to report to the research deck at 2200 hours. You’re on overnights until further notice. Don’t be late, Reed.” And that was that. No going against his captain unless he wanted to lose this job entirely. Fan-fuckin-tastic.  
  
It had been four days now since he’d been banished below decks and in that time, he’d managed to find some semblance of a routine. There wasn’t much to patrol, just the large, sectioned space filled with countless desks and tanks and weird, science-y apparatus and a row of locked doors he couldn’t access. He would meander his way from one end of the room to the other, climbing up the metal ladder to survey the administrative mezzanine halfway through, and climbing back down just as uneventfully. There was, of course, never anyone there. The only two entrances to the room—the main, reinforced door that led to the rest of the ship, and the large, steel-plated circular indent near where the specimens were kept, an access port that allowed for the delivery of large species of flora or fauna deemed worthy of CyberLife’s precious time—were visible from most anywhere in the room. And if he wasn’t looking? Well, he could certainly hear the large, metal slabs pulling away. Yet even still, the captain had made it very clear to Gavin that he wouldn’t tolerate him slacking. So… awake and alert, he remained.  
  
The problem with that was that it was just _incredibly boring!_ There were only so many times he could walk the perimeter before he started to get a bit stir crazy. Enough so that he’d taken to staring at the specimen tanks with a much keener eye.   
  
It was definitely the most interesting part of the research deck, that was for sure. Nearly a third of the entire space was dedicated to the habitats that housed the various ocean dwellers. There were even some sharks swimming through the larger tanks, mako and leopard and other rare breeds that Gavin couldn’t tell you the name of. The meticulously categorized rows of sea creatures only added to the blue-themed ambiance, the splashing rush of simulated currents reflecting wavering caustics across the metal deck. This side of the room offered much more to look at, even in low-light.  
  
Tonight, though, he’d had enough of watching the bobbing jellyfish or the sleeping moray. No, tonight he was studying something far more mysterious. Because sectioned off from the easily-observable specimens along the wall, a makeshift cordon had been erected, larger and less sturdy than any of the other rooms that had been built for the research team. The walls were easily movable, Gavin already knew this from previous patrols and he had no trouble quickly stepping inside. A large, circular tank sat within but he had never been able to tell what exactly it was for or why it was segregated off on its own. And, well… Curiosity made a reckless fool of many a man and Gavin Reed was no exception.  
  
It certainly didn’t _look_ like any of the other tanks, not in shape or design and _certainly_ not with the full control panel there at the front of it. The cylinder sat on a base of reinforced steel and consisted mostly of a thick layer of inset glass. Various wires and cables ran from the spine of the tank, a thick, metal beam along its back that connected the base to the equally-reinforced cap. The glass itself was darkened, completely opaque from every angle.   
  
Strange, echoing taps seemed to resonate from the apparatus, those same, intermittent peals that he had never before managed to pinpoint in the spacious, echoic room. As he approached, they only seemed to increase, growing louder and louder as he came to stand before the console. Was there something… alive in there? Something encased behind darkened walls? He couldn’t deny he was even more intrigued now, not when this was the only stimulation he’d managed to find since being banished down to this godforsaken hellhole.  
  
Gavin stood there anxiously for several minutes, rocking back and forth on his heels as he considered his poor life choices. But this was his job, right? He needed to make sure the place was secured. And now that he knew the noise came from a living source and not just the creaking of the ship or some obscure experiment, he needed to investigate. Right?  
  
But what if he messed something up? This was a research mission, after all. This was why he was here, to guard CyberLife’s precious fuckin specimens. Perhaps it was a testing chamber? Or… something? Fuck, he didn’t know. He wasn’t a goddamn scientist. He should just leave this shit alone.   
  
And he did.  
  
For a time.   
  
He couldn’t help circling back to the tank after every routine perimeter check. It was something interesting, at the very least. Something to occupy his long, boring nights. Whatever was in there offered a tantalizing mystery and, as more time passed, he felt a greater and greater urge to investigate.   
  
He lasted two more hours before he gave into temptation.  
  
It was startling easy in the end, operating the control panel. Everything was marked clearly on the transparent monitor and he knew enough about his employer’s systems to access the startup screen. His credentials were lacking when it came to the high-class encryptions guarding the locked files but the main menu opened with a generic CyberLife employee ID. And from there, a conspicuously labelled **[ACTIVATE]** button hovered perfectly centered and tauntingly accessible.   
  
Gavin stood before the tank, looking around to either side of him nervously despite his inability to see past the flimsy walls surrounding him. But nothing bad could happen, right? He was just curious. He wanted to see what this apparatus was for. It wasn’t gonna come back to bite him in the ass, fuck no! It’d be fine! Yeah! Just fine!   
  
And, with the surety of a man who was a deft hand at talking himself into situations he never should’ve gotten himself into in the first place, Gavin reached out and pressed a finger to the screen.   
  
The device came alive slowly as a progress bar blinked across the screen. The walls of the tank, which he had thought were solidly black, began to waver and swirl, some sort of tinted solution draining from between the glass layers. A blue glow flickered where the dark liquid ran thin and Gavin squinted, trying to make out what was inside. He caught flashes here and there, steadily-glowing swirls undulating in the darkness. But the abrupt ignition of the tank’s overhead lights made him flinch, stepping back and lifting a hand to shield against the sudden, effulgent glow.   
  
“What the fuck—?!” he exclaimed even as the console before him beeped out a merry little tune. He glanced towards the screen, the words **[ACTIVATION COMPLETE!]** slowly fading into a complex array of moving charts and biorhythmic monitors. A large header with the words “RK Project” spilled across the top of the screen and a long string of numbers followed after. What the hell was this shit?! Not some routine oceanological study, that’s for sure. His gray eyes perused the roving lines of data, the flickering numbers pulling his attention in several different directions. But not for long. Not when—   
  
In the now-clear water of the tank, a figure undulated, frantic thuds and clinking taps sounding on the glass walls. Gavin’s gaze was immediately transfixed by the… creature? It certainly looked like nothing he’d ever seen before. It was large, nearly as big as the tank that held it captive, and its long, powerful-looking tail was coiled tightly along the steel floor. The eel-like appendage tapered up towards a slimmer torso with vaguely-human proportions. Prominent fins protruded from the scaled ridges along its “waist” and those same ridges continued up its belly and sides in symmetrical patterns, criss-crossing its chest like a suit of armor. Further up, what could only be arms extended outward from the creature’s torso, each one long and similarly armored. Wicked-looking protrusions extended from shoulder to elbow, large, curved spikes that, when combined with the claws adorning each hand, added to the overall aura of danger the thing exuded. Its head was also scarily human-proportioned with the overall shape of it not unlike Gavin’s own. The creature’s face was a surprisingly delicate contrast to its intimidating body with a rather rounded jawline and high-set cheekbones. Where a human’s ears might be were more fin-like appendages with those same crested scales framing the top of its head with more protruding ridges, almost as if it were wearing a crown of sorts. Small, colorful scales splayed across its cheeks and overtop the seam of its mouth. They drew symmetrical patterns as they moved up the slits where a nose might be and framed the thing’s eyes. Save for its chromatic facial scales, the entire beast was rendered in shimmering shades of silver and gray under the harsh, halogen lights.   
  
In the scant few seconds it had taken for Gavin to even understand what it was he was looking at, the creature had settled some, bowing its head with a resigned, weary mien. Another quick perusal highlighted the restraints holding the thing back, large, heavy clamps around its tail and torso, wrists and neck. It was effectively immobilized, though even without the restraints, it probably wouldn’t be much better in a tank that small.   
  
As he stood there, slack-jawed, wondering just what it was he was looking at, he again heard that same, sharp tapping noise and his eyes darted to where the creature’s claws were scraping along the glass.   
  
_Tap, tap, tap. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Tap, tap, tap._   
  
With that last, crystalline ring, Gavin managed to get ahold of himself, now furiously pawing at the touchscreen to try and find the off switch. “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!” he repeated in his panic. He shouldn’t have done this. He should _not_ have gone snooping like a _dumbass!_ Fowler was gonna have his ass for this if he fucked up one of their experiments!  
  
His mind was an anxious flurry as he cursed at the console and it must’ve been his mad scramble that spooked the creature in the end. So quickly, that docility left the beast behind and wild movements took its place. Gavin stared as it thrashed erratically, jerking upwards and bearing its maw full of shark-like teeth. The scrapes along the glass grew louder and the water inside the tank reverberated from the thumps of its powerful tail. It struggled against its restraints with a viciousness that, he admitted, frightened him. It was a _monster._ Some sort of dangerous, wild beast. He should’ve known it was kept in such a state for a reason! Why was he such a fuckin idiot!?   
  
It was just as he located the control panel he’d been searching for that he heard it, a muffled, high-pitched scream. He dared glance up to see the beast now convulsing as visible streams of electricity coursed through its bonds. It lasted only a few seconds but the aftermath of the attack left the beast shaking and shuddering, cowed in a way that looked so terribly at odds with the ferocious creature he had just seen. And, when it at last lifted its gaze to meet Gavin’s own, he could not help but note the anguish in its very human eyes. They looked straight at him, met him head-on with an intelligence far too prominent for his liking. More taps on the glass now, the same as before. Steady, slow.   
  
Gavin slammed his hand down on the touchscreen and stepped back from the tank. As the inky black shroud flowed down along the glass, the creature’s gaze never left him. The tapping followed him out as he ended his shift. And as the sun rose over an endless ocean and Gavin laid his head down to rest, his last thoughts before he succumbed to his sleep were of pained, brown eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks goes to my wonderful friend, Heather, who drew this absolutely _amazing_ art of what I imagine my sea monster!Connor looks like!! Check her out [here](https://heather-draws-things.tumblr.com/) for more amazing art!
> 
> So yeah, lemme know what y'all think, I'd love to hear from you! Thanks so much for reading! ^_^
> 
> ~Veil


	2. Reconnaissance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now introducing the DPD Squad to the scene! And yet another late-night run-in between Gavin and the mysterious creature in the tank...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello, friends! Back again with chapter 2!
> 
> So, you might’ve seen that the rating for this went ahead and jumped up to M? Yeah, my bad. I’m still actively writing this and things got a little more involved in later chapters than I’d anticipated. Nothing gratuitous, but definitely in-line with canonical violence and heavy subjects. So, just fyi on that incase you didn’t see the change! 
> 
> Once again, big thanks to the marvelous sheepishwolfy for helping me work this chapter into shape! You’re the best, dude!!
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy! ♥

“What the fuck are you still doing lying about, pipsqueak?”  
  
A pillow smacked into the side of his head and Gavin was up and out of his bunk immediately, crouching in a defensive stance as he rapidly blinked himself into wakefulness. In the muted light of their shared quarters, he looked up at his roommate and cursed. “Don’t fuckin call me that, bitch!”  
  
Rachel Person had no fuckin room to talk anyway what with being all of five foot nothing herself. He’d known her for years now, both of them having served in the Navy before moving on to private security. She was a short, shit-talking spitfire of a woman who could kill a man dozens of ways without breaking a nail on her impeccably-manicured hands. Whoever said the shorter you were, the closer you were to Satan obviously must’ve known her.  
  
He would take a bullet for her any day of the week.  
  
She smirked and stepped forward to pat him on the head. “Get yourself a growth spurt, little man, and I’ll consider it.”  
  
“Fuck off!” Angrily, he brushed her hand away and sat back down on his bunk, heart still racing from the adrenaline spike. “What time is it, anyway?” he asked, swiping a weary hand down his face.  
  
“Almost 1630, Sleeping Ugly. What, you stay up past your bedtime or something?”  
  
He groaned. “God, Chel, lay off. Bad night is all. Had another shit time down in the Tank.”  
  
He heard her laughing at him, that troll of a woman not even bothering to hide her snickers as she dug through her duffel. “That’s what you get for letting Nivet get under your skin, pipsqueak. You knew he was goading you.” Perfunctorily, she changed out of the workout clothes and into her civvies, modesty not a high priority on either of their lists after their time in the service. They were far too familiar with each other at this point to give a shit. “Now, c’mon! Up! I told Christina I’d get us the good table in the mess! Fuck knows if I sit your ugly mug down there no one will approach. Get your pants on, deterrent! Chow time!”  
  
“They’re gonna kill you one day if you keep calling them tha— Whoa!”  
  
Between one word and the next, she’d marched over and yanked him right up off his rack. “Less talk, more clothes! Look alive, sailor!”  
  
Resigned, Gavin dressed quickly. There was no use arguing with her when she was adamant about something, he’d learned that the hard way. Besides, she was an excellent distraction from the topics still plaguing his mind. In this instance, he was quite relieved to have her steamrolling right over him and his useless protests.  
  
He was up and dressed in record time and the two of them managed to squeeze into the mess at exactly oh seven hundred. At the good table, naturally. Chel was prattling on in high spirits while he stared down at the dubious cuisine on display. Listlessly, he poked at the slop in between tasteless spoonfuls.  
  
“Well, well, well, don’t tell me you’ve finally developed standards, Reed? Got tired of that liquid cardboard diet, didja?”  
  
Another tray slammed down on the table beside him and Gavin looked up at the offender, one Tina Chen. She was smirking at him, very pleased with herself. Across from her, setting his tray down far more gingerly, was Chris Miller, whom Chel had formally declared as the only one of them with any sense. He offered Gavin a kind smile and a shrug as if to say, “What can you do?”  
  
Gavin gave Chris a genial nod before turning to glare at his benchmate. “Fuck off, Tina. I’m just not hungry.”  
  
Across from him, Chel snickered. “Gav had a _wild_ night, sweet cheeks. Found him still sleeping when I got back to the ol’ cell.”  
  
Chris only raised an eyebrow at that but Tina leaned over eagerly, staring at him like a fucking slide under a microscope. “Oh, what?! What?! Give us the deets, Gav! Did something happen? Was there a break-in? Did you have to shoot someone? Or—?”  
  
“Didja fuck around with a cute boy?” Chel _helpfully_ added. “C’mon, Gav, who was it? How big was his—”  
  
“A _hem!”_ Chris cut in. “Are you alright?” There was a prominent light of concern shining in his eyes as he assessed the other man, a frown painting his lips.  
  
Gavin took a deep breath and released, fixing Chris with a steady stare. (With a short detour on the way to glare at Chel again.) “I’m fine, man. Just… Well…”  
  
All three of them straightened up in their seats as he leaned in closer. A seriousness overtook their expressions as they realized he had something important to discuss. With a quick, paranoid glance over his shoulders to make sure no one was listening in, he asked, “What do we _really_ know about this whole job, huh?”  
  
Chel delivered her answer with a healthy dose of skepticism. “Officially? The _Jericho_ is scheduled out here for patrol. Same old shit with the Russians. There’ve apparently been sightings of _Udaloy_ -class ships in these waters and the brass are spooked. Unofficially…”  
  
Chris picked up the rest. _“Unofficially,_ CyberLife is assisting the government with installing improved surveillance equipment along their routes and fronting it as a scientific study on ocean life. All of it’s classified since private contractors aren’t supposed to be present on active military excursions.”  
  
Gavin nodded. “Right. That’s what they’ve told us. But what if… What if we have that all backwards? What if the _tech_ is the decoy.” He glared down at his half-eaten meal, gathering his thoughts.  
  
“What do you mean?” he heard Tina ask. “You think the billion dollar company we work for is out in the middle of the ocean on a top secret mission so they can collect _fish?_ What the hell, Gav?” She nudged his side. “That doesn’t… make a whole lot of sense.”  
  
A memory of anguished, brown eyes flashed across his vision as he looked back up. “Yeah, I know, Teens. But I’d like it to.” He paused for a moment, making eye contact with each of them. Chel had a fiery determination burning in her gaze, that restlessness around her like the calm before the storm. Chris looked far grimmer than he had before he sat down. Tina just looked worried but, much like Chel, she had that stubborn set to her shoulders. He trusted each one of them with his life. “I wanna say some stuff. But I might have to count on you guys later on if I do. You in?”  
  
They nodded immediately, instinctively, like there wasn’t even a question of refusing him. Gavin didn’t know how a shitbag like him earned such loyal friends, but here they were. And who knows? Maybe figuring things out might even be fun.  
  
He smirked. “Okay. So here’s the deal…”  
  
  


* * *

  
  
The moon was high overhead when Gavin returned to his post, its occluded glow softening and diffusing the deeper he went below deck. With apprehension heavy in his steps, he wandered the maze of passageways, the artificial light buzzing almost as loudly as his heartbeat in his ears. As he approached his destination, the gleaming metal doorway that demarcated the research deck, he hesitated for but a moment before continuing on. He could do this. He _would_ do this.  
  
Just like every other shift since his abrupt reassignment, Gavin scanned his ID at the door, waved off the evening guard and any stragglers left cleaning up their work stations, and prepared himself for a long, lonely night. The only difference with tonight was that this time, he had an objective.  
  
Securing his friend’s help had been surprisingly easy, all things considered. Chel and Tina were two peas in a pod when it came to conspiracy theories and mysteries, always ready to strike out on crazy, outlandish rumors without too much prompting. In fact, they were both stupidly giddy about the supposed sea monster in the bowels of the ship. Chris was rather more skeptical when it came to things like Gavin panickedly regaling them with tails about what sounded suspiciously like one of his drunken hallucinations, but he was also loyal to a fault. He would risk looking like a fool if it meant helping a friend find peace of mind. Chris was weird like that.  
  
Either way, what resulted was the four of them establishing a slapdash coterie of possibly-mutinous idiots who’s entire plan at the moment consisted of “keep an eye out for suspicious shit and wait for Gavin to find out more.”  
  
And so, here he was, spearheading the expedition like the reckless fool he was. Hey, no one had ever accused him of being rational!  
  
Gavin had always been a curious soul by nature. Maybe that had something to do with too many long nights spent alone as a child, his younger self blowing off homework to watch cop movies much too violent for his age. Maybe it was to do with the little treasure hunts he’d set up for himself, leaving obvious clues lying around for when Ma got home. Perhaps those few good nights played a part, the times when she’d indulge him in his games, letting him lead her around so he could solve the “mystery.” She’d always told him he was too curious for his own good.  
  
That inquisitiveness hadn’t waned any when she died. It hadn’t been beaten out of him by his time in the service. And it most _certainly_ hadn’t left him now, employed to guard CyberLife’s secrets out on the open water. He’d seen something last night. Something… _curious_ . And he was just itching to find some answers.  
  
Luckily, his few days of patrol down here had managed to familiarize him with the area quite well. And while he still felt somewhat wary about investigating the lab more thoroughly, the lack of consequences for his trespass the previous night filled him with an unholy cocktail of desperate curiosity and bold recklessness. Or, as Tina would tell him, he was “high off his own idiot juice.”  
  
Eh, whatever. It’s not like it’d gotten him into trouble. Not much, anyway. Not _recently._  
  
...Okay, maybe this was stupid. But he was doing it regardless!  
  
It didn’t take him more than a dozen steps, though, before those ringing taps began echoing through the room. They’d been such a constant to him on previous nights that he almost didn’t register the sound at all, but after his encounter with that… _thing_ last night, he could feel a shiver run up his spine. He knew what the noise was now. He knew it was that monster in its tank. He knew he wasn’t exactly as alone down here as he’d always assumed.  
  
That cold dread returned, images of the beast flashing before his eyes. Sinuous tail, rending claws, armored scales. (And human— _human!_ —eyes.) Every sharp peal renewed the image in his mind. But while he was scared shitless by the thing, he also _really fuckin wanted to know what it was!_  
  
And just what CyberLife was doing with it.  
  
The “RK Project” was how it’d been classified, he remembered _that_ much from his terrifying encounter. And that’s what he started looking for as he began his patrols. He started with the testing and assembly rooms, those individual cells built along the fore bulkhead. However, just as he suspected, investigating them turned up nothing.They were all locked up tight and his employee ID trilled out a mournful noise at every rejected entry.  
  
The cluster of computer terminals set up in rows across the middle of the room also yielded nothing. The only thing he could seem to do was turn the damn monitors on. He couldn’t even get into the main menu on these things, not like the console he’d used the night before. No matter how furiously he scanned his ID card across the access reader, the screens remained frustratingly unchanged.  
  
It made sense, not allowing just any employee to look at R&D’s sensitive records. But that just left him with the question of why he’d been allowed access to that one, specific console? Either this one-of-a-kind mermaid wannabe was deemed just as low priority as any other fuckin fish in the room or some asshole was being supremely negligent. He had no idea which one was more likely but, seeing as how he was out of any other options, he hoped it was the former. At least then, the console would let him back in.  
  
As Gavin moved across the deck, the steady tread of his boots accompanied the creaking groans of the ship and the rhythmic tings of the RK’s tapping. Just like yesterday, he stepped around the makeshift walls and stared up at the dark, foreboding cylinder and the hidden creature held within. He could feel sweat beading across the back of his neck as he remembered its flailing body and the ferocity with which it had struggled against its bonds. Without conscious thought, he let his hand come to rest on the pistol secured at his hip. It was so stupid, what he was doing.  
  
Well, stupid had never fuckin stopped him before.  
  
With unflinching determination, Gavin stepped forward and, with the same ease as the previous night, coaxed the dormant touchscreen to life. Just like before, the scanner read his employee badge without issue and the menu appeared, that same, conspicuous **[ACTIVATE]** button hovering temptingly at the center of it all.  
  
As if it understood his scrutiny, he again heard the rhythmic taps and scratches of the creature within the tank, each one an invitation to investigate the mystery of it.  
  
 _Tap, tap, tap. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Tap, tap, tap._  
  
The pattern of it never changed, only fluctuated at uneven intervals. Gavin tried not to let it bother him. He was on a mission, after all.  
  
He pulled his attention back to the screen and began sliding through the myriad tabs hovering in the sidebar. But, just as last night, every program was blocked, every folder, secured, every file, inaccessible without a higher level clearance. CyberLife’s private records were shut up just as tightly here as they were everywhere else in this fuckin room and, though Gavin was no slouch when it came to tech like this, he wasn’t a hacker. He couldn’t break his way through. But he couldn’t fuckin _find_ anything, either! Releasing an aggravated breath, he muttered a quiet, “Fuck!” in frustration as he stared down at the home screen once more—   
  
—Only to jump as a loud bang came from the tank!  
  
He drew back so suddenly that he knocked into the flimsy wall behind him and, with yet another, louder curse, he fell right down on his ass. “Jesus fuckin Christ!” he yelled, angry at himself, angry at CyberLife, angry at the ~~sad-eyed~~ damn beast that had startled him! This was all fuckin hopeless! He wasn’t gonna learn anything! And it wasn’t his job to question things, anyway. Fuck, what was he even _doing?!_ _  
_  
He laid on the floor for a short while, feeling sorry for himself. Before long, though, those intermittent _tap, tap, tap_ ’s started up again. Running a weary hand down his face, Gavin stared up at the darkened tank. “Fuck, it ain’t your goddamn fault either. You may be a fuckin… sea monster or something, but that just means you’re a stupid animal. Not on you that this whole place gives me the creeps, ain’t that right?”  
  
 _Tap, tap, tap. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Tap, tap, tap._ _  
__  
_There was something surreal in him talking to the captive nightmare creature. Something like facing his fears head-on. Gavin almost smiled. “Hah, yeah, you don’t say? You sure fuckin like your little pattern there. What, you trying to wear a hole through the glass? I don’t even fuckin blame you, looked like a real shithole in there.”  
  
 _Scratch, tap, scratch, scratch, scratch. Tap. Tap, tap, tap._  
  
Gavin jumped to his feet, alarmed. “Whoa. Whoa, wait. That one was different. What are you…?”  
  
 _Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap. Tap, scratch, tap, tap. Tap, scratch, scratch, tap._  
  
A cold sweat broke out across his body. “Can you… Can you fuckin _understand_ me?”  
  
 _Scratch, tap, scratch, scratch, scratch. Tap. Tap, tap, tap._  
  
“Oh, Jesus fuck…” Gavin proclaimed as it all clicked into place. It was— The RK was—  
  
He couldn’t reactivate the tank fast enough. He scrambled back over to the touchscreen and slammed his hand down with a frantic determination. Because those might not be the dots and dashes he was used to, but Morse code was mandatory learning for all sailors, past and present. And whatever this thing was, it fuckin knew it, too. Somehow!  
  
His night just got a whole lot weirder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we go, Gavin got a little backup _and_ a clue! Look at him go! XD 
> 
> As some of you may have noted, our boy Connor has been tapping out an SOS signal on the glass in Morse code. That repeats several times through this chapter. Other responses when he starts changing things up are: 
> 
> \- When Gavin says the place is a shithole: _Y.E.S._  
>  \- When he comments on the different rhythm of the taps: _H.E.L.P_  
>  \- When he asks if Connor can understand him: _Y.E.S._
> 
> Feel free to drop me a comment down below if you’re enjoying this! I know I always love receiving feedback from y’all, lol! (No pressure, though, of course! ^_^)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Until next week… 
> 
> ~Veil


	3. The RK Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin has a little “getting to know you” session with Connor. And another. And another. And another...

So. There was a freaky fish creature trapped inside a tank. And it was apparently sentient. Fuckin wonderful.  
  
It had taken a little over an hour for Gavin to start wrapping his mind around the concept but he thought he was doing a pretty alright job with not freaking out right now. He’d managed to trip his words into some semblance of order, anyway, instead of the stuttering mess he’d been not so long ago. The creature seemed to take his actions in stride, merely answering his queries patiently no matter how many times it was forced to verify something. But it… It really was true… Gavin had confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that just whatever the hell it was locked up in there, it very much understood his words. There was no other explanation.  
  
And now that his panic had receded, Gavin let himself stare. And yeah, okay, the thing was sentient or whatever, but Gavin was a rude asshole on the _best_ of days so this was really par for the course. All the surface-level details were still there, the creature hadn’t magically transformed into a different species overnight. Its features lingered in his mind, a cutting recollection he instinctively knew to fear. Its strange proportions, the silvery, armored scales, the _almost_ human face and the _very_ human eyes—a vision of it had burned itself into his mind and seared through his dreams. He could not help the awe that overtook him as he gazed up at the RK. If ever there were a situation that warranted a bit of slack-jawed gawking, it was this one.  
  
It was only upon closer inspection that he began to see… irregularities. RK was gaunt, for one. Thin in a way that looked unhealthy, the bone and sinew beneath its skin standing out far too prominently. It was also wounded, the scales beneath its bindings rubbed raw. Gavin wondered if those were caused by him? If that shock that went through it last night caused this damage or merely added to it. For all the queries he hounded the creature with, he could not bring himself to ask that one. Whether that was down to courtesy or cowardice, though, he couldn’t say.  
  
Regardless, it seemed that a good chunk of his fear had left him behind during their interactions. The longer they “spoke,” the more accustomed Gavin became to RK’s frightful visage and the forced limitations of their communication. Gavin was eager to learn, to understand.  
  
“Okay, so...” he began, for what seemed the hundredth time. RK stared at him, unblinking. “You’re a fish guy or something? Or fish girl? Uhhh...” Gavin could feel his face flushing hot  
  
He watched RK’s mouth fold down into a frown. _Scratch, scratch. Tap, scratch. Tap, scratch, tap, tap. Tap._ _  
_ _  
_ _M-A-L-E._  
  
Nothing on Earth could’ve stopped Gavin’s eyes from wandering down the creature’s scaled form at that answer. “You don’t look fuckin male. Where’s your di—”  
  
All ten claws scratched at the glass and Gavin looked up, sheepish. RK was baring its—no wait, _his_ —fangs at him now, looking much more like the vicious monster Gavin had seen during their first encounter than the patient oddity of the last hour.  
  
Point made, though, that’s for sure. No mentioning the dick. (Or lack thereof.) “Alright, shit! You’re male, I got it!”  
  
RK seemed content with his answer, reverting back to staring soulfully Gavin’s way. Not like he could do much else, not with the restraints. Which… “Hey, why the fuck do they have you in those things, anyway? You bite a hand off or something?”  
  
RK sneered. _Scratch. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap, scratch, tap. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Tap, scratch. Scratch._  
  
_T-H-R-O-A-T._  
  
Gavin frowned. “‘Throat?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”  
  
RK gave him an unimpressed look and glanced pointedly down at his restraints. He turned his gaze back to Gavin and opened his mouth wide—far wider than should be possible!—revealing gleaming rows of razor-like teeth. With a muffled _SNAP!_ he slammed his jaws shut, keeping those teeth bared for a moment longer before letting his mouth fall back down into a smirk.  
  
Oh, Gavin thought.  
  
“Oh,” Gavin said.  
  
Inside his tank, RK laughed.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, real funny, Chicken of the Sea.” Gavin gave a huff and muttered, “Always fun, murdering people.”  
  
_Tap, tap, scratch, scratch, tap, tap._  
  
Well, look at that. He’d tapped out a question mark. Looking straight into those brown eyes, Gavin could see the confusion there. RK tilted his head, almost like a dog and just as bewildered. “What?!” Gavin asked.  
  
_Scratch, tap, scratch, tap. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap. Scratch, tap, scratch, tap. Scratch, tap, scratch. Tap. Scratch, tap._ _  
_ _  
_ _C-H-I-C-K-E-N._ _  
_ _  
_ Oh fuck. Gavin couldn’t hold back his snickers. “Holy shit, dude, I was just teasing. I wasn’t _actually_ calling you a chicken.”  
  
RK frowned. _Scratch, tap. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Scratch._  
  
_N-O-T._  
  
Gavin laughed full-on then. “I know you aren’t, holy shit. Never thought you’d have a sense of humor, RK.”  
  
All levity vanished between them as a loud thump reverberated through the glass. Gavin jumped to his feet, startled, watching with horror as RK began to strain against his bonds. “Whoa, hey, calm down!” he shouted but the creature ignored him, once again baring his teeth towards Gavin. Beside him, the console beeped out a warning and the screen flashed. Gavin only had a second to watch as RK picked up on the noise, his whole body going still and his face freezing in terror. And then, before Gavin even had time to frown, visible electric shocks ran through the water-bound captive, each one forcing his body into painful contortions while still keeping him agonizingly upright.  
  
“Oh fuck!” Gavin shouted as he stared at the screen. **[SECURITY PROTOCOLS ENGAGED]** it read with a slowly blinking timer counting down beneath it. Five seconds, it said. That was five too many. Frantically, Gavin pressed at the screen, trying to find a way to disable the shocks. Nothing worked.  
  
Helplessly, Gavin stood there, watching as RK’s own claws tore through his skin, as those razor teeth he’d so enjoyed teasing Gavin with earlier cut deeply into the flesh around his mouth. Everything within the tank was muffled, but even still Gavin could hear the high-pitched trills of RK’s screams. With wide, gray eyes, Gavin stared in horror, waiting out what felt like the longest seconds of his life.  
  
This was so fucked up. So, so fucked up…  
  
In the aftermath, Gavin watched as RK shook, errant sparks still coursing through his ravaged form. The tender skin beneath his bonds was dark and inflamed. Diluted, bluish blood floated up from the new wounds on his hands and face in wispy clouds. There was too much of it. Far too much.  
  
Gavin quietly approached, a rare solemnity in his form. And just like the night before, the creature inside looked up, meeting Gavin’s eyes with such a stark and heavy anguish it disarmed him completely. There were so many swirling feelings fighting for dominance within Gavin but he could feel the great swell of pity winning out. No living thing deserves something like this. He decided right then and there that RK could rip out as many fuckin throats as he wanted to. Because this? This was cruel.  
  
“I’m… I’m sorry,” he whispered, unsure whether or not he wanted the creature within to hear him with his heightened senses. He placed his hand on the glass, wishing for the first time that he could do something more. Wishing he could help him.  
  
A faint tapping reverberated along the glass, too quiet for him to hear. But as each vibration ran up his hand, Gavin felt the creature’s words flow over him.  
  
_N-O-T. R-K,_ he tapped. And Gavin realized just how fundamentally he’d fucked up.  
  
Shit, of _course_ the captive fish man wouldn’t wanna be called his project ID! Gavin just hadn't had anything else to call him and it’d slipped out, subconsciously! “Oh fuck, oh shit! Hey, I’m sorry! I won’t call you that again, I fuckin swear it!” He hoped the creature could hear the sincerity in his voice. He meant it. He’d just reacted to what was obviously a very traumatic moniker for him and Gavin felt fuckin terrible about having initiated the attack.  
  
But his watery companion wasn’t finished, yet. _C-O-N-N-O-R,_ he tapped.  
  
“Connor? Is that… That’s your name?”  
  
And though he was still twitching, still convulsing, still riddled with pained contractions, the newly-dubbed Connor did his best approximation of a smile and nodded.  
  
Gavin nodded back. “Alright then, Connor. My name’s Gavin. And I’m gonna get you the fuck outta there.”  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Tina, Chris and Chel were, of course, suitably horrified when they found out about Connor. Gavin must’ve looked even more freaked out that next morning than he had the day before because Chel had immediately called the other two to their room for an emergency meeting. It didn’t even take much coaxing for him to start talking, either, expelling every sick detail he’d discovered in one long rush. He might’ve gotten a bit intense about it all, too, since he remembered Chel taking him by the shoulders at one point and shaking him til he settled back down. (At least she hadn’t gotten him in a headlock. He considered that a win.) By the time he’d summarized both the facts and his feelings on the whole situation, he was breathing hard and perhaps looking slightly feral. But, like the weirdly loyal friends they were, all three of them first swore themselves to secrecy and then followed that up with asking how they could help.  
  
Seriously, he did not deserve them. Nor did he deserve the way they all began calculating patrol routes and itineraries and personnel rosters, setting up a staggered work schedule between them to cover the most ground. Before long, they had a comprehensive plan for monitoring their employers during daytime hours, with special care given to any of the scientists seen in the vicinity of Connor’s tank All three of them had determined immediately that Gavin would want some info on the people behind the lab coats. (They were right.)  
  
The nighttime hours were left to him, though. It was strange, really. Gavin had so dreaded being stuck on lab duty when he’d first been assigned. The long, boring hours and being stuck indoors had made for a very dismal shift at the start. He hadn’t even had the promise of circulating back to a regular work schedule to get him through the never-ending nightmare.  
  
Now, though?  
  
As the weeks passed, the inner passageways of the ship became more and more inviting to him and the large, open space of the research deck began to feel like home. In between regular patrols, Gavin now had the luxury of a companion. One who, despite the disparity in their species and the necessary-but-slow way they’d found to communicate, made for a very interesting distraction. Connor, he found out, was rather knowledgeable about many things.  
  
He seemed to have a whole host of esoteric facts tucked away in that fishy brain of his and he made for an engaging conversationalist. Sometimes, he terrorized Gavin with absolutely horrifying stories of the ocean depths. (“No fuckin way! The Kraken is just a myth, right?” _S-O. A-M. I._ “Yeah, but you don’t _eat_ people!” _D-O-N-T. I-?_ “For fuck’s sake…”) Other times, he would make the man laugh with his weird jokes and fanciful stories. (“How’d you learn Morse code anyway?” _M-A-G-I-C._ “Wait, really?” _Y-E-S. F-A-I-R-Y. G-O-D-M-O-T-H-E-R. H-A-I-R-I-E-R. T-H-A-N. E-X-P-E-C-T-E-D._ _S-M-E-L-L-S. O-F. F-I-S-H._ “You’re so full of shit, Con.”) And still other moments, their exchanges would turn fond, sincere, heartfelt. ( _W-O-U-L-D. Y-O-U. V-I-S-I-T. M-E. A-F-T-E-R-?_ “Eh? After what?” _A-F-T-E-R. I. E-S-C-A-P-E._ “Oh. You really want some scummy human hanging around after this?” _O-N-L-Y. O-N-E. I-N. P-A-R-T-I-C-U-L-A-R._ “...Always wanted to buy a boat, I guess. Might be a nice change of pace.”) In a strange turn of events, his overnight punishment became the new highlight of his days.  
  
Some nights, Connor gave into his melancholy. On such occasions, he would regale Gavin with tales of his home, of the great, coral plains and kelp forests housed beneath the waves. Such longing would fill his eyes, memories of distant, happier times that he feared he would never experience again. In the same vein he would speak of his pod, a sort of family unit to Connor’s species, and his clutchmates, those he came into this world alongside. Siblings. Connor told him of the two who had survived with him to adulthood, of Colin and Niles, and how much he missed them. Rarely, he also spoke of someone named Hank, though Gavin never got a straight answer from him on who exactly that was. On nights such as those, when Connor’s sorrow was so prevailing, Gavin would try his best to console his fishy friend as best he could. And while his stuttered-out condolences and assurances of eventual freedom often felt hollow on his tongue, Connor always seemed to appreciate them anyway.  
  
Of course, Gavin hadn’t forgotten about his vow to free his new friend from captivity, not in the slightest. But that was certainly easier said than done. He had no clue where to even begin working towards his goal but, once again, his aquatic accomplice came to his aid as a valuable resource. Connor was able to provide key clues on how to operate the lab machinery and he helped Gavin immensely with hacking into the secured system files. The fish man must’ve had an eidetic memory with how good he was with memorizing the long strings of numbers that made up employee IDs and verification codes. It was a slow-going process for Gavin but he was getting there. It had been a huge victory for the two of them when Gavin learned how to disable the security protocols on the tank. The first time his bonds had fallen away and Connor had been free to stretch himself as far as the tiny tank allowed, Gavin may have gotten a tad bit emotional. Especially when Connor reached out a hand, bringing it to rest upon the curved surface of his prison. Gavin had met him there, aligning his own smaller one along the outside of the glass. They both spent what felt like an eternity studying the differences between Connor’s webbed, clawed digits and Gavin’s unremarkable human ones. Gavin’s callouses against Connor’s scales. The size difference between their palms. And when at last they tired of those observations, they merely shifted their gazes to meet each other’s eyes, grateful brown against victorious gray. They lingered this way, separated only by thick panes of glass and unethical corporate cruelty, until Gavin was forced to depart. And with his leaving came the reactivation.  
  
It grew harder and harder for Gavin every day, watching as Connor re-bound his own limbs in the tight restraints, resigning himself to whatever new horrors he’d be subjected to in the light of day. Gavin had nothing to give him but his promise to return and his assurance that Connor would be free again soon. It was as much routine as hopeful wish at this point but it was all he had.  
  
In the intervening weeks, much progress had been made. Slowly but surely, Gavin was discovering more, circling closer to the truth of why Connor was there and what the RK Project was. Likewise, Chel, Tina and Chris had been keeping to their eagle-eyed vigilance, narrowing down the key players at work upon the ship. A pattern emerged eventually, one that evoked a sense of just who might be in charge of this whole operation. They didn’t know anything for certain just yet but they were getting there.  
  
It was now week six and an echoing laughter reverberated through the research deck. He and Connor had fallen into a rather amusing bit of banter as Gavin worked (“I’m not smuggling a dog onto the ship, Con. What would you even do with it, anyway? Eat it?” _M-A-Y-B-E-? A-R-E. T-H-E-Y. T-A-S-T-Y-?_ “Oh, fucking gross.”) when Gavin managed a huge breakthrough. Staring in awe at the scrolling files on the screen, he realized he was now able to access the locked files CyberLife had on the chief scientists in charge of the RK Project. A sense of pure victory welled up inside of him and, with a joyous exclamation, Gavin leapt up, doing a full, mid-air spin in celebration. He laughed as he hopped over to lean against the tank, plastering himself against where Connor was pressed up on the other side of it. Through the partition of reinforced glass, the two of them smiled at each other, Connor tapping out a _W-E-L-L. D-O-N-E_ with one hand and giving Gavin a thumbs up with the other.  
  
“You goofy bastard,” Gavin said, bumping his forehead against the glass. Connor shuddered as the vibration spread through the water, mirroring him with his own little head tap. As he stared at Gavin, his bright, gregarious, very _toothy_ grin eventually settled down into something far more gentle, his eyes softening and his facial scales highlighting blue. Gavin swallowed, suddenly far more aware of what he was doing and with whom.  
  
Over the last few weeks, the two of them had grown so close. Gavin couldn’t remember a time now when he had thought of Connor as just a mindless, terrifying beast. And it all struck him so suddenly. The sinuous sweeps of Connor’s powerful tail, the soft skin peaking out so sparsely from between hardened ridges, the shimmering light reflecting off the kaleidoscope scales of his face. Gavin looked at Connor, _really looked at him,_ taking in that pleasingly trim waist, the delicate way he moved his deadly, clawed hands, the satisfying symmetry of his face. And he could feel himself flush as a sudden realization hit him.  
  
He was attracted to Connor.  
  
He knew he was flat-out panicking at this point and he could hear Connor tapping out a worried little message to him. But this revelation had completely rocked his world. This was wrong, wasn’t it? A _normal_ human wouldn’t look at someone like—! Someone like _Connor_ and think he was attractive, _right?!_ What the hell was wrong with him?  
  
No matter what Connor did, Gavin remained in a bit of a daze for the rest of the night. It was only when the time came for Gavin to re-shackle him that he found that dazedness receding.  
  
Looking over at Connor, at the strange, graceful, _beautiful_ creature he had come to cherish so much so quickly, Gavin couldn’t help but wince as he snapped the cruel restraints back in place. “I’ll be back tomorrow, Connor. I promise. We’re so close now! You’ll be out of there soon.”  
  
Connor nodded and did that strange little faux-smile of his. _S-T-A-Y. S-A-F-E. G-A-V-I-N_ , he tapped out even as the inky black liquid concealed him from view. _I-L-L. M-I-S-S. Y-O-U._  
  
Gavin thought on those parting words all the way back to his quarters. They ran circles around his mind as he stripped out of his uniform and prepared for bed. And, lying wide awake, staring at the underside of Chel’s empty top bunk, they settled deep within his heart like a warm blanket.  
  
“Oh fuck,” Gavin said to his empty room. “I wanna bone a goddamn dolphin. Jesus fuckin Christ.”  
  
He did not sleep much after that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, there he goes. Our boy is in a little bit of trouble, isn't he? XD
> 
> As always, big thanks to sheepishwolfy for helping out with this. You're the best, friend!
> 
> And of course, thanks to everyone out there reading!! I definitely appreciate it! Feel free to let me know what you thought down below! ^_^
> 
> ~Veil


	4. Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin faces some personal realizations, a run-in with his boss and a little something he never expected...

“What’s _with_ you today, Gav? You seem kinda… distract— Whoa!”  
  
Chris had barely started speaking when Chel elbowed him in the ribs. (None too gently, if his wince was anything to go by.) With glee, she brought the poor man down to the mats, his free arm furious tapping out as she twisted the other up in a painful lock behind his back. “Eyes on me always, macho man, you know that,” she whispered as she eased up off of him. Then, focusing her full attention on Gavin, she said, “But I think he’s right, pipsqueak! Who pissed in your Cheerios?” Her cheerful grin belied her words as she helped a struggling Chris back to his feet.   
  
“Don’t fuckin call me that,” Gavin tried to snark back but even _he_ could tell it was unconvincing.   
  
Across from him, still alert and poised to attack, Tina frowned, eyeing up her sparring partner with a deep-seated suspicion. “Okay, _now_ I’m worried. I’ve never seen you let Chel off the hook so easily before. Chris is right, you _are_ distracted.”  
  
Gavin huffed, charging at her. “Dunno what the fuck you guys are talking about. I’m fine.” Tina just darted away, leaping nimbly to the side to avoid his attack. She managed to get an arm on him as he passed, attempting to grapple him down like Chel had done to Chris, but he broke her hold with minimal fuss. “See? Not distracted!” he proclaimed, a cocky smirk pulling his lips up.  
  
Tina laughed— _laughed!—_ and gleefully declared, “Yeah, buddy. _Sure_ you aren’t,” right before a heavy weight struck him across the back, bringing him down to the ground with a clamor of curses and a dull, decisive thud.   
  
He could hear Chris and Chel giggling like children from their new positions atop him and Tina soon joined in as she practically skipped towards her pile of friends to primly perch herself on top. Her dainty snickers meshed with Chris’ high-pitched giggles and Chel’s surprisingly loud guffaws. “Eyes. On. _Me,_ short stuff! How many times will it take to get that through your thick skull?”   
  
Tina chortled. “She got you there, Mr. ‘Not Distracted.’ C’mon, Gavvy, spill! Tell us what’s got you so out of it!”  
  
Chris even reached out to pat his head where it was crushed into the padding. “Yeah, man. You know you can talk to us. About whatever.” His sincerity was always so disarming.  
  
Gavin breathed as deeply as he was able with three grown adults sitting on his back. “You guys aren’t gonna let this shit slide, are you?” he asked, already knowing the answer.   
  
“Nope!” “Not a chance!” “‘Course not, man,” they all said in unison.   
  
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Gavin grumbled under his breath. Louder, he said, “Look, it’s not a big deal. I’m just… dealing with some shit right now, alright?”  
  
“Is this about… _You-know-who?”_ Tina asked, keeping her voice low. “Did you find out something new?”  
  
Ignoring Chel’s incredulous, _“What the fuck? Is he Voldemort now?”_ Gavin said. “Shit, no! I already told you about my lead from last night. You guys know I wouldn’t jeopardize him like that. Or you guys, for that matter.” Gavin could feel the flush building in his cheeks and he knew he had to get out of here before they managed to nag him to death. “It’s... It’s personal, okay?!”  
  
Mustering his strength, he began to shimmy his way out from under the pile of bodies pinning him down. Their startled cries sounded as they all toppled together in an even more tangled mess of bodies. Tina was still laughing as she hurriedly scrambled off of the other two.   
  
Of course, they weren’t fazed, not when they’d scented some juicy gossip. Tina, the resident expert on prime blackmail resources, sounded off first. “Personal? Holy shit, Gav! What’s his name? When do we meet him? I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on us!”   
  
“Fuck off! I’m not seeing anyone, alright?!” he announced, pointedly _not_ thinking about Connor’s sinuous tail cutting through the water.  
  
“What’s wrong then, man?” Chris cut in. “Someone turn you down or something?”  
  
“No!”  
  
Chel snapped her fingers. “Ah, I see. You’re just frustrated cause you’re pent up, is that it?” (“Shit, no! You guys are all assholes!”) She tapped a finger on her chin. “Teens, what was that tall guy’s name? The cute one with the dimples?”  
  
“Oh yeah! McLaughlin! Chel, you’re a genius, he’d be _perfect!”_   
  
Gavin stared at them all in horror as they giggled. Even Chris had gotten into the spirit of things now, sitting up with the girls as they plotted. Normally, he wouldn’t mind. Their little schemes were usually pretty amusing and he’d almost always come out of them with either a nice fuck or a good story. But all this, it was hitting a bit too close to his actual issue. This time, it wasn’t a good distraction. So when Tina leaned over, patted him on the back and said, “Okay, I’ll get things set up! Don’t worry, I think he’s your type!” he maybe reacted rather… poorly.  
  
“I don’t fuckin need you guys finding a date for me, alright?! I said I’m fine and I am! So just fuckin lay off and leave me alone!”  
  
He couldn’t handle this shit right now. He jumped to his feet and began jogging toward the door, eager to leave the gym (and his conniving friends) behind. He didn’t stop, not even as they called after him.  
  
In the end he didn’t even shower, just marched back to his quarters in a huff and changed into his uniform immediately, though there were still hours left before his shift. He didn’t want to take a chance of them finding him right now, not when he was in the mood to say something he might regret. He ended up wandering the full length of the ship, straying from the normal areas he and the other CyberLife guards looked after. His uniform earned him a few funny looks from the sailors he passed but no one stopped him which he took as a good sign. At length, he found himself at the stern of the ship, staring out across the choppy sea to the sliver of sunlight left dipping down beneath the clouds. There was a storm rolling in. Great. Just another fuckin fantastic addition to his _stellar_ day.   
  
He didn’t know how long he stood there watching the horizon. Long enough that someone saw fit to intrude on his solitude, though, if the footsteps he heard approaching were any indication. They came to a stop mere feet away from him and Gavin heaved out an aggrieved sigh. No rest for the wicked or whatever.  
  
To be honest, he rather expected Chel to have sniffed him out. Or maybe Tina or Chris. But as he turned his gaze away from the dying light, he started, quickly snapping to attention and saluting. “Captain Fowler, sir!” he exclaimed, staring up at the large man.   
  
Captain Jeffrey Fowler was, like many of their squadron, a former military man himself having served fifteen years in the Marines before moving on to private security. And while he wasn't one to talk about his past, rumor had it that he’d made it all the way up to the rank of First Lieutenant before he unexpectedly left it all behind after some supposed incident. He certainly carried himself like an officer and he played his role as their captain with earnest fairness and dedication. Even Gavin couldn’t help but respect the man, though his recent actions had been puzzling.   
  
Fowler stared at him for a moment, his dark eyes giving away nothing in the thickening twilight. At long last, he seemed to deem Gavin acceptable and allowed him to relax his stance with a curt, “At ease.”   
  
Half a lifetime of obeying such commands had Gavin automatically widening his legs, clamping his arms behind his back simultaneously. He waited nervously for Fowler to continue, wondering just why in the fuck he was out here. He didn’t look angry which was always a big plus. He didn’t look much of anything to be honest, his face giving away nothing. Was it too much to hope that maybe he’d just interrupted the captain’s nightly routine? Hey, Fowler could be all about sunsets, he didn’t fuckin know. Maybe he stopped by here every night and their meeting was just a coincidence.  
  
Fowler didn’t keep him stewing for long, thank fuck. “How have you been adjusting to your new job duties, Corporal?” he asked, turning his gaze out to sea.   
  
Gavin furrowed his brow. Well… Guess it was small talk hours with the big man. Alright, he could work with that. “I think I’ve eased into things pretty well, Captain. Not much to do down in the Tank but I’ve worked out a routine by now.” The fact that said routine mostly consisted of covertly breaking through his employer’s security systems to look up classified information with his fish friend was beside the point.  
  
Fowler just nodded. “That’s good, son. I’d hoped you might take a shine to the night life.”  
  
Wait, what? Had Fowler _planned_ to station him there? Gavin frowned. “Sir?”  
  
The captain shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the horizon just as the first droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. Facing Gavin head on, he said, “You’d best get inside before this downpour starts up. Looks like it’ll be a vicious one, Corporal.” And, apparently satisfied with their little chat, Fowler nodded and began making his way back across the deck. As he passed him, he gave Gavin a little pat on the shoulder. “As you were, Reed.”  
  
It took one particularly heavy drop of rain striking right across the scar on his nose for Gavin to snap out of his daze. That had been… a really fuckin weird exchange. It wasn’t like Fowler to be so cryptic, he was a man known for speaking his mind. It made Gavin wonder just what had gotten into him out here on the open water.   
  
Either way, the captain didn’t seem to suspect him of anything untoward which was the best outcome Gavin could’ve hoped for after a one-on-one talk like that. Hell, maybe this day could be salvaged after all. Maybe his luck was picking back up.   
  
With a newfound spring in his step, Gavin retreated down into the belly of the ship, preparing himself to weather the storm as the minutes ticked by. Less than two hours til he could see Connor again. He grinned. Things were shaping up.   
  


* * *

  
  
Things were  _ not _ shaping up.   
  
Gavin had spent a little while longer wandering the ship, listening to the patter of rain plinking across the metal hull. The increased swaying spoke to just how rough the waters outside were getting but it’d been years since he’d been bothered by a little rocking. Most of the passageways were deserted this late, curfew called for any sailor not on duty, and he’d been enjoying having free reign of the areas he didn’t frequent. Nice change of pace and all that.    
  
It was relaxing, the sea, the storm. The smell of rain mingled pleasantly with the ever-present brine that tinged the air and he found himself breathing deep as the minutes ticked by. It was as he was contemplating laying below that his bad luck returned.    
  
One moment he was minding his own business, not a care on his mind except for how soon he could see Connor again. Next thing he knew, he’d been pulled back into a dark room, his body held fast against another’s, one deceptively strong arm clamped around his torso, the other snaking up to cover his mouth.   
  
“Tell me what I want and you may yet live,” a deep, ambiguously-accented, presumably-male voice whispered in his ear. Oh shit, oh fuck, oh damn! He hadn’t seen or heard this asshole come up behind him at all! And that accent… It sounded like nothing Gavin had ever heard before. With wide eyes, Gavin considered the possibility that he’d just been taken hostage by, if not a Russian national, at least some sort of mercenary or spy. One who was  _ ridiculously strong! _ One who was…  _ What the fuck?! Sniffing  _ his  _ neck?! _ Fuckin  _ what? _ Well fuck, this was definitely not how he thought he was gonna go! Gavin began to sweat, imagining the worst that this tall, shirtless stranger would do to him.    
  
Yeah, that’s right: shirtless.   
  
Because he definitely was. Gavin could feel his bare skin where his arm had been pinned. It, in fact, felt like a lot  _ more  _ than just a shirt his assailant was missing. Was this motherfucker  _ naked? _ Was he about to get murdered by some naked, Russian assassin?! What the fuck had he done to deserve this!?   
  
(Probably a lot, truth be told.)   
  
As his struggles increased, the man tightened his grip almost to the point of pain. Gavin squeezed his eyes shut, again marveling at how strong this asshole was. At this point, he really wished he’d taken Tina up on her offer from earlier. At least then, he’d know what he was getting into, getting manhandled by a naked stranger.   
  
He forced himself to relax, letting his body go loose in the man’s arms. If he could break his hold on him, even just a little, maybe he could wriggle free. Gavin took the chance to nod as best he could, too, hoping the man understood that he was agreeing to cooperate. “You will be silent?” the stranger asked and Gavin nodded again. The man hummed, seemingly thinking something over, before muttering, “Yes. You may be of help. Alright.”   
  
Yeah, like  _ that _ was gonna happen. He’d rather get murdered here in the dark than help this pissant.   
  
But true to his word, the hand vanished from his mouth and Gavin let out a long breath. “Ah fuck. Jesus Christ. You almost gave me a heart attack, asshole! At least fuckin buy me dinner first!”   
  
A quiet “What?” sounded from behind him, though it was rather muffled by the groaning of the ship as it was tossed about wildly. The storm was growing ever-worse and the straining metal was letting its displeasure be known.   
  
Between one moment and the next, what must’ve been a  _ massive  _ wave pelted against the hull and the sudden vibrations from it were enough to make his assailant stumble, just enough to give Gavin the opening he needed. Quick as lightning, he freed one arm and sank an elbow back into the man’s gut, squirming his way to freedom as he doubled over. A loud crash accompanied the gasp and a thud that sounded behind him. Gavin could only hope it’d been enough to keep the man down til he could find an exit.   
  
He still couldn’t see shit in the pitch-black of the room and his pulse beat loudly in his ears as he haphazardly stumbled further away. Wherever he was, it was like a fucking maze and he crashed his way into more than one obstacle as he blindly stumbled forward. Fumbling for the flashlight on his belt, he muttered a quiet “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” as he desperately worked it free. He heard a few more smaller thuds behind him and a groan as the man shifted. Instinctually, he cast a glance back over his shoulder, already knowing he’d be met only by darkness.   
  
He certainly didn’t expect two glowing blue irises to blink back at him from the black.   
  
With a yelp, Gavin flicked the flashlight on with one hand and drew his pistol with the other, aiming them both up at the stranger as quickly as he could. Just as he’d suspected, the man was nude as the day he was born, his pale skin practically glowing in the focused beam of light. His dark hair was short and sideswept, a wet sheen where it was slicked back. He was the ideal of a fit, young sailor, too, sporting an impressive physique. He was, perhaps, a bit too tall and broad to make a career of traversing the tight passageways of a battleship but he had no doubt the military would be very happy to snatch him up. Well, if he wouldn’t have automatically failed his psych eval, anyway. He was baring his teeth at Gavin, each one sharp and pointed in a weirdly familiar manner. And, perhaps strangest in a list of  _ incredibly  _ strange things, he had no genitals, nothing but a smooth pubic mound couched between his legs.   
  
Seriously, Gavin thought, how was this even his fuckin luck? Why did all this freaky shit always happen to him?!   
  
“Don’t come any closer or I’ll shoot, shithead!” Gavin announced. But the threat of a gun didn’t seem to faze his assailant in the slightest. With an inhuman trill, he threw himself bodily Gavin’s way. Holy  _ fuck, _ he was fast! There was no time for Gavin to think as his weapon was knocked from his hand and he was suddenly flat on his back. With that monstrous strength, the man pinned him down, both hands coming up to wrap around Gavin’s throat. Feral blue eyes assaulted him just as surely as the crushing pressure on his windpipe, the glow of them fading in and out as his flashlight wavered in his flailing grasp. Gavin could feel himself becoming weaker, the edges of his vision growing fuzzy as his air supply dwindled.   
  
“You will not keep my brother from me, human! I will save him! I must!” the stranger shouted, voice breaking in a swarm of emotion.   
  
There was… something to those words. It took every ounce of Gavin’s oxygen-starved brain to connect the details but between the strength, the teeth, the  _ overall resemblance—  _ Well, it made sense in his mind, anyway. With the last of his air, Gavin struggled out a whispered, “C-Connor,” hoping his guess had been correct.    
  
And like a switch had been flipped, the snarling ceased, the man’s eyes went wide and the hands left Gavin’s neck. In the dim halo cast by the still-spinning flashlight, Gavin could see his assailant looking down on him with a stunning sobriety, suspicion and cunning overlaid in his gaze. “Where did you hear that name?” he hissed.    
  
And though the attack had momentarily ceased, the fight was far from over. As he scrambled madly backwards away from his assailant’s grasp, Gavin knew with absolute certainty that these next few moments would make or break him. He just hoped he wouldn’t shatter completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, nothing like leaving off on another cliffhanger. Whoops. >_<
> 
> I'd love to hear what y'all thought of this one, though! Feel free to speculate if you'd like! We're ramping up for the plot now, lol!
> 
> Of course, big shoutout to sheepishwolfy as always! Always appreciate the feedback and discussion! The critical thinking helps a lot, lol.
> 
> Thank y'all for reading! Until next time!
> 
> ~Veil


	5. Long-Awaited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin makes a new friend. And meets a new enemy. All in a day's work.

The  _ U.S.S. Jericho  _ tossed and turned in the furious squall, battered by wind and water alike. Upon its steel decks, sailors patrolled with a nervous march while in their beds the CyberLife researchers tossed and turned like the unruly sea. Deep within the bowels of the ship, a restless captive shuddered with each rumbling oscillation, tapping out a comforting rhythm to himself on reinforced glass. That outward tumult was mirrored in Gavin Reed, struggling to breathe in the dark room where he faced off against a stranger.   
  
Said stranger sat calm and calculating, piercing blue eyes barely blinking in the diffused light. “Where did you hear that name?” he asked.   
  
Gavin, frantic, pale and breathing heavily, opened his mouth to answer—    
  
—and was overcome by a sudden fire scouring his throat. He doubled over, gasping for breath, an animalistic panic seizing him completely as he clawed at the neck of his uniform, He choked and hacked, all the aches and pains of his body assaulting him in solidarity with the jagged agony scorching his neck. Tears beaded at his eyes as he struggled to breath. He felt more helpless than he had in a very long time.   
  
It seemed to go on for an eternity and Gavin felt himself slipping further and further into a panic. So far gone was he that he didn’t even register a hesitant hand settling between his shoulder blades, rubbing small, soothing circles along his back. Through his distress, he felt another hand fumbling for something at his side and he immediately recognized his own canteen when it was held up to his lips. He drank in a sputtering glut, at once both desperate and reticent to imbibe the cool water. The hand on his back kept its soothing motions light while the other held the canteen steady, the stronger grip helping limit Gavin’s greedy gulps. This routine kept up until the guard managed to catch his breath, short and shallow inhalations helping to mitigate his intermittent coughs. “That’s good, calm down,” that accented voice said, and Gavin, with startling clarity, remembered just whose arms he was being held in.   
  
With another choked out gasp, Gavin flinched back, trying to extricate himself from where he’s been practically cradled in the man’s lap. But he was still so weak and his assailant kept his grip gentle but unyielding. “No, none of that. You will not die until I have answers,” he said, his smooth words a far cry from that frenzied shouting of earlier.   
  
Despite the whiplash of their two encounters, the promise of violence still lay thick in the man’s voice and his unyielding grip only supported his promises. Turning to regard the (still naked, Jesus Christ) man, Gavin croaked out a, “W-What?”   
  
It was hard to make out in the dim light, but there was a definite feeling of appraisal as those glowing blue eyes looked down on him. “You mentioned Connor,” he said at last, something guarded in his voice. “How do you know that name?”   
  
“Oh shit,” he whispered. It all came back to him in a sudden rush now, the moments leading up to his spectacular coughing fit. He remembered the cracking desperation in this man’s voice as he spoke of his brother. And his own hasty guess at just who that might be. He was gambling for sure here but there wasn’t much else he could do. Either die on a wrong hunch or die for no reason. Gingerly clearing his throat, Gavin spoke softly. “Connor is… a friend.”   
  
The stranger gave him a hard stare but did not speak. Gavin continued on, hoping his suspicions were correct. “You said… Earlier, you said you were looking for your brother. So does that mean…?” It was a strange connection to make, for sure. While the man in front of him certainly shared a lot of physical features with his fishy friend, the ways they differed were far more overpowering. For all intents and purposes, this man looked human. Gavin wouldn’t think twice to pass him on the street. And yet… And yet something in his gut, some hunch, had established a correlation between the two. It was not just the teeth or the monstrous strength or the odd lack of genitalia. No, he  _ looked _ like Connor! There was something in the shape of his face, in the definition of his torso, the trimness of his waist. And in that otherworldliness that he couldn’t quite mask. Gavin didn’t know how it was possible but he would bet his life on this being one of Connor’s brothers. So, with all that in mind, Gavin asked, “Does that make you Colin? Or Niles?”   
  
And, like a switch, something in the man’s face just  _ crumbled. _ Like a veil being pulled away, Gavin watched as his severe expression melted and something far more tender took its place. He almost seemed to wince, face scrunching up and eyes crinkling. Gavin watched as he leaned forward almost unconsciously hugging the smaller man to him with a tender, desperate care. It wasn’t until a great, shuddering sob wracked his form that Gavin realized he was crying. “You  _ do _ know him. He would never have told you about us if he didn’t trust you! He really is alive!” Even as he wept, the man smiled, his sharpened teeth not looking quite so intimidating tucked away within his big grin. “My name is Niles! And I came here to save him!”   
  


* * *

  
  
It came as a relief that the two of them had somewhat sorted out their issues and Gavin was finally free to take in their surroundings. They were in a storage room of some sort, rows of metal shelves standing wall-to-wall, fasted drawers and bolted-down boxes settled within them. Now that the lights were on, he’d managed to retrieve his gun from beneath one of them and was heartened to see that it was undamaged in the altercation. Even luckier, the entire ordeal hadn’t taken too terribly long and Gavin was still on-pace to make it to his shift on time.   
  
That is, if they could sort out one very important issue first.   
  
Gavin kicked the drawer he’d been digging through, disappointed by its lack of clothing. After all, he needed  _ something _ to cover up Lady Godiva over there. Couldn’t very well parade a naked, anatomically-baffling man through the passageways of the ship, now could he? No. His luck was holding insomuch as Niles had managed to drag him into a  _ supply _ room. Now, if he could only find some fuckin uniforms or something…    
  
“Why the fuck do you look like that, anyway?” he called out as he rummaged. Might as well get some more info while he was able.   
  
From the other side of some shelves, Niles piped up. “Is there something bothering you about my appearance?” He sounded weirdly insulted, especially for a guy who was currently only wearing a hi-vis vest with the name “Clement” embroidered over the pocket. That’d been their only find so far and it was in all ways a hindrance rather than a boon. Niles was weirdly excited to wear clothes, though, so Gavin let him be for now. No use arguing when they had to act fast.   
  
Gavin scowled. “I meant why do you look human, smartass! What, were your parents mermaids and you just got the human half? Shit, is Colin all fish?!”   
  
A choked-out laugh made Gavin look over, peering through the shelves as he watched Niles try his best to keep a straight face. “I can only imagine his expression if you said as much to him. I would give up a great deal to see it.” Lips still twitching, he cleared his throat, moving over to look through another drawer. “But no, that’s not… I’m surprised Connor didn’t tell you? If he trusted you with us, then surely…” Shaking his head, Niles met his eyes, blue against gray. “But I suppose you could say it is a… quirk of our species. We, who live above and below the sea. Always at once of two forms, divided. I suspect you’ll find I look  _ quite _ like my brother when settled amidst the ocean currents.”   
  
Gavin gawked. Full-on gawked. “You guys are…  _ fucking shapeshifters?! _ Fishmen-shapeshifters?!”   
  
Niles frowned, holding up a bundle of cloth up to his face for closer scrutiny. “I suppose you could say so, yes.” He faced Gavin, standing as grandly as he could manage in his current state of undress. “We are called—” And he proceeded to make some sort of trilling screech like a dolphin on steroids. “—but I’ve been informed that this is quite difficult to say for humans?”    
  
Well, Gavin sure wasn’t gonna try that shit anytime soon. “Yeah, I think I’m just gonna stick to fishmen.”    
  
Niles shrugged. “Suit yourself.” And he went back to his rummaging.   
  
For Gavin the news wasn’t brushed off quite so easily. He couldn’t help but think of the implications of Niles words, of how he and Connor looked similar in their respective forms. Unbidden, an image flashed through his mind of Connor, free from his tank, parading himself around in the same shameless manner as Niles. He felt himself flush at the thought, as intrigued by this version of Connor as he was by his aquatic self.    
  
_ Shit, _ he had it bad.    
  
Hastily, Gavin slid open another drawer, determined to think with his  _ other _ head, thank you very much. The cloud of dust that sprang up was not exactly the diversion he would’ve preferred, though. He began choking immediately, setting off yet another coughing jag that scoured his already-injured throat. Niles was immediately by his side, canteen already fumbled from Gavin’s vest pocket. Just like before, the shapeshifter held the bottle for him, gently coaxing him to drink a bit at a time.    
  
Niles was steadily rubbing his back again as he plied him with drink. “Easy, Gavin, easy. I’m very sorry about all this. I wish I could’ve known sooner that you were my brother’s confidante.”    
  
Gavin waved him off. “It’s fine, you couldn’t have known.”   
  
Niles’ hand abruptly left his back and Gavin turned, watching him as he fiddled with the canteen. “I knew  _ something _ was amiss with you, though. There is a scent to you. Very faint. Already mostly-faded. But it seems so… familiar. I couldn’t place it but I should have trusted my instincts. Instead I… I acted most rashly. And for that, please, accept my apology.”   
  
It all sounded like a bunch of bullshit to Gavin but whatever. It wasn’t like he hadn’t already met  _ two _ fuckin fairy-tale creatures in the last two months. Why not give him a magical, friendly scent as well? Maybe he could charm some animals like a fuckin Disney princess.    
  
Aloud, he said, “No biggie, man. Just help me bust your brother out and we’re even.”   
  
Niles snapped his head up with that inhuman speed of his, big, watery eyes meeting Gavin’s dead-on. Then he bowed— _ bowed!— _ one hand over heart, and said, “Truly, you are a selfless and loyal friend, Gavin. I will do whatever it is you need of me, you have my word.”   
  
Nervously scratching at the back of his head, Gavin darted his eyes anywhere but the weirdly-chivalric, mostly-naked man bowing in front of him. Luckily for him, one of those places was into the dusty drawer that had set this entire conversation off. With wide eyes, Gavin reached in and pulled out his prize. “Alright Niles, here’s the first thing you can do, then.”   
  
Eagerly, the shifter looked up at him just in time to catch the sealed parcels Gavin chucked his way. Niles held them with some confusion, staring down at the packaging like it was some great mystery. Hell, maybe to him it was. After all, it probably wasn’t every day an ocean-dwelling fish man was asked to put on water-resistant rain gear.    
  
Gavin smirked. “Suit up, partner. It’s time to haul ass.”   
  


* * *

  
  
The  _ swish, swish, swish _ of Niles’ new outfit sounded inordinately loud in Gavin’s ears as the two of them sneaked through the ship. He side-eyed the shapeshifter walking next to him, noticing how he winced with each step. “Too loud,” was all the shifter whispered when he asked. But that made sense, really. It was annoying enough to  _ Gavin _ with his normal human ears. He could only imagine what it felt like to Niles’ super senses.    
  
Either way, there was no denying how hilarious it was, watching him try and walk in some sort of bow-legged stance, keeping his limbs as far apart from him as he could. Reminded him of those videos of dogs trying to walk with shoes on. He wished he had a fuckin camera.    
  
Despite their rather comical hindrances, the two of them made good time and Gavin couldn’t help the stark relief he felt as they drew near to their goal. He knew this part of the ship well, knew every alcove, every patrol route, every room in between here and the main deck. He had not been idle these last weeks, after all, and while Chel, Tina and Chris conducted much of the overt surveillance, Gavin made sure to study up on his end, too. He had contingency after contingency lined up for when they all finally made their move, doing his utmost to ensure that, when they finally  _ did _ have the means to free Connor, it would actually work.    
  
(The fact that Connor could, apparently, walk on two legs made that a lot easier, too. He could throw out the old “fish in a barrel” plan now.)   
  
With only minutes to spare, the two of them arrived at the research deck, Gavin stowing Niles away in a particularly shadowed alcove as he rounded the corner to relieve the evening guard. The hand-off went smoothly, Gavin assuming his post without a hitch. One quick, cursory glance around the research deck confirmed he was alone. He grinned, whistling for Niles to join him.    
  
The shifter was visibly shaking now, all the emotions from earlier now back in full-force. In a flash, Niles swished over with an inhuman speed and practically vibrated his way through the reinforced door. Without even needing to be shown, the fishman tilted his head up, giving the air a delicate little sniff, before shooting off like a rocket, making a beeline for Connor’s tank. A dull thud followed soon thereafter. Niles apparently had no time to pull the makeshift walls out of the way. Even from across the room, Gavin could see one of them lying flat upon the deck.    
  
Gavin secured the door as quickly as he was able before following, eager to witness their reunion, even in such circumstances. He could hear Niles even from across the room, that same high-pitching trilling as earlier now echoing across the bulkheads, filling the room with a decidedly mournful song. As he approached, Gavin could make out the much quieter, muffled speech-song from within the tank. Now, he was no expert on what was apparently their native tongue, but Gavin could tell that Connor’s words were far more agitated. He could hear his claws tapping frantically on the glass, no words, just panic.    
  
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy, Niles!” he said, drawing the larger man back from where he’d pressed himself up against the glass. He came away very reluctantly, staring down at Gavin with wide, teary eyes, but he couldn’t focus on that right now, not when Connor was still flailing around inside. If he kept this up, he’d activate the security protocols before Gavin had the chance to even boot up the console. He wasn’t about to let that happen.   
  
“Hey! Hey, Connor, I’m here too, don’t worry! You gotta calm down, alright? I’ll explain everything if you do, I swear.” As he spoke, he tapped out succinct little words against the glass, some small reminders that Connor could  _ feel  _ to compliment what he heard.  _ S-A-F-E. F-R-I-E-N-D. P-R-O-T-E-C-T. O-K-A-Y. _ He kept it up until Connor began to repeat them back, tapping slowly and methodically in time with him. Good. This was good.   
  
Beside him, Niles had fallen to his knees, staring up at the dark tank with tear-streaked cheeks. He still had a hand upon the glass and, if he was as versed in Morse code as his brother, he surely understood Gavin’s unspoken assurances. Gavin patted him on the shoulder as he shifted over to where the console sat, eager to take down the murky veil and release Connor from his bonds.    
  
The console did not activate.   
  
Frowning, Gavin tried again. And again. And  _ again! _ “Fuck!” he shouted, causing Niles to spring up, startled. He came to stand beside Gavin, frowning down at the dark touch-screen.   
  
“What is it?” he inquired, voice but a whisper. “What’s wrong?”   
  
He shook his head, staring helplessly down at the console. “This piece of shit isn’t responding! It’s been  _ weeks  _ and it only decides to shut me out  _ now?! _ Fuck!” Gavin knew by heart how to operate this system. He’d spent a month and a half working in tandem with Connor, memorizing security codes, getting a feel for the programs, reading through project logs, weapons reports, personnel profiles. He’d gotten so close! He’d almost cracked the final firewall, the partition between himself and CyberLife’s top secret files! He was  _ one _ step away from getting full access to Connor’s prison! So why was he now locked out?  _ Why now?! _   
  
Within his tank, Gavin could hear Connor scratching at the glass, trilling out what he could only assume was the same message to his brother.  _ F-R-E-E. F-R-E-E. P-L-E-A-S-E.  _ Niles sang something back, something Gavin hoped was reassuring. Because he… He couldn’t.    
  
“Connor. Connor, I’m sorry. Nothing I’m trying is working. They must have… They must’ve discovered a security breach or something. Shut me out of the system. I… I don’t know what to do—”   
  
Niles reeled back, eyes lit with a fiery determination. “Fine then,” he said, his teeth bared and his posture fierce. Even in his dumb, fluorescent outfit, he looked powerful and dangerous. “If you cannot open this device, I will  _ break _ it. Stand back.” And he wound up his  _ fuckin fist _ like an absolute lunatic!    
  
“No, stop!” Gavin shouted, his cry mingling with Connor’s own warning. If he did that—! If anything happened to the tank, the security protocols were wired to go off. Connor would be, once again, subjected to the tortuous current they used to keep him in line. Niles, though, did not know this.    
  
However, just before he followed through on his swing, the shifter turned quickly, his back hunched like a cat with its hackles raised. He glared up at something in the dim light of the deck. Within the tank, Connor tapped out a worrying  _ R-U-N. _   
  
“Now, now, boys, let’s not make any rash decisions here.”   
  
A smooth, cultured voice echoed across the research deck and Gavin felt his blood run cold. He looked up to where Niles was staring and there at the edge of the mezzanine, looking down upon them like some sort of regal lord, a dark-skinned woman stood. From this distance, Gavin could not make out any features in detail but her stance, straight-backed and proper, arms folded casually behind her, spoke of a pure, unfailing confidence. Whoever she was, she wasn’t worried in the slightest.   
  
“I see you’ve taken an interest in this specimen. I’m not surprised, it’s  _ quite _ fascinating.” Placing one, delicate hand upon the railing, the woman held up an unknown device with the other. “Let’s go ahead and take a look at it, shall we?”   
  
Gavin turned as behind him the console beeped to life, the activation bar filling quickly and the dark liquid draining from Connor’s prison. In the almost-blinding light that flashed to life above him, Gavin could see a sickening dread scouring his friend’s face.  _ T-R-A-P _ , he tapped out and Gavin knew deep in his heart that he was right.    
  
Let it never be said that Gavin Reed backed down from an impossible scenario, though. Looking back up to the woman, he shouted in his most obnoxious tone, “And just who the fuck are you?!”   
  
Her words positively dripped with supercilious malice as she answered. “I, dear boy? My name is Dr. Amanda Stern, CyberLife’s Head of Research and director on the RK Project. And  _ you—”  _ She leaned forward eagerly. “—are Gavin Reed. It’s  _ so nice _ to finally meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... Welp! Two cliffies in a row! I'm on a roll? u^_^
> 
> Things are certainly coming to a head here. But feel free to tell me what you think down below! Super enjoying any theories y'all are having about the plot and such! This is my first time writing anything at all thriller-ish so I'd love to know what y'all are feeling about all this, lol! And comments and such are always so encouraging. ^_^
> 
> As always, thanks to my excellent beta, sheepishwolfy, for giving this a read-through! Super appreciate it every time, dude.
> 
> And thank you to everyone reading!! Y'all are the best, seriously. Til next chapter!
> 
> ~Veil


	6. Turbulence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some difficult conversations are had. Affiliations come to light. And Gavin learns to let go...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder to heed the tags for this chapter! We're getting into some dicey stuff, guys!

The ship tossed and turned in the turbulent sea but not even the steady patter of rain against the hull could drown out the deafening heartbeat pounding away in Gavin’s ears. Faintly, he could hear Niles trilling out a warning and Connor scratched frantically at the glass but he couldn’t focus on either, the whole of his perception honed in on the haughty woman up above. The same woman who held the controls to Connor’s tank in her hand. Who headed up the entire CyberLife research department. Who was responsible for all the unethical shit that had gone down in this very room. And who seemed _very_ eager to talk to _him_ of all people.   
  
Well, Gavin hoped she was prepared for his special fuckin way of communicating.   
  
He moved slowly, bringing a hand up to rest on his gun holster. The implications were, he imagined, pretty obvious. “Alright, lady. Let’s fuckin talk then. How about you start with telling me why the _fuck_ you’ve been torturing a sentient being down here in your little hell lab, hm?”   
  
She clicked her tongue like a disapproving teacher. “Now, now, torture is a rather strong word, don’t you think?” Absentmindedly, she began to walk the length of the mezzanine, apparently not at all worried about Gavin’s unvoiced threat. Her words were as measured and steady as her steps. “We provide for it, after all. We care for it when it maims itself, we keep it clean and fed, we administer regular health checkups. Specimen 51 is by no means being _tortured,_ Corporal Reed. We afford it every amenity that doesn’t compromise our mutual safety. The precautions we’ve taken in order to keep it in-line are beneficial to us both.” Her back was fully to them now as she paused beside the railing. Straight spine. Squared shoulders. Not a care on her mind.   
  
The absolute disgust and hatred bubbling up inside of Gavin was matched by the rumbling growls of his companion. Niles was coiled tight, poised and ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. A snarl danced menacingly on his lips, his razor-sharp teeth bared. With eyes full of murder, he sprang forward, intent upon his prey.   
  
Stern didn’t even turn around. “Tut, tut, tut, let’s stop that, shall we? Unless you’d like to play your part in sending a potentially-lethal current flowing through dear Fifty-One?”   
  
She held up the device and Niles froze in his tracks. The shifter’s eyes were wild as he turned to look at Gavin and Connor, his focus darting quickly between them. Almost timidly, he trilled out a small, questioning syllable. Connor’s own muffled response had his face falling immediately. When those blue eyes looked to Gavin instead the human could only shake his head, remorse and regret vying for control in him as Niles hung his head low.   
  
“ _V_ _ery_ good, boys. I see you can be trained. That’s reassuring, I’ll make sure to mark it down in your files.”   
  
Oh, this _bitch!_ With a snarl to match Niles’ own, Gavin drew his pistol, bringing it up and at the ready in one smooth, fluid movement. Sights trained and aim steady, he stared her down. “How about we make those stakes even then, asshole! You press that button, I blow your fuckin head off.”   
  
She said nothing for a long moment. Gavin shivered, a chill running down his spine. When at last she spoke, it was with a cutting frost lacing every word. “I would not advise that, Corporal Reed.”   
  
She raised the device again and he didn’t hesitate. That was his friend’s life on the line. _Connor’s_ life. And Gavin had vowed to protect him. He would do whatever was necessary to keep him safe, even if that meant murdering one of the bigwigs of a multi-million dollar company.   
  
The flash of the muzzle burned bright in his eyes and time seemed to slow. Connor’s nails screeched upon the glass. Niles flinched backwards, covering his ears at the loud noise. The bullet flew straight and true and Gavin stared it down with grim intent. In a split second, it struck her, a loud, metallic thud ringing out across the deck. Stern vanished from his sight. Gavin blinked.   
  
And behind him, Connor _screamed._ _  
_   
In a rush, time resumed and Gavin spun, staring up in horror as his friend writhed and howled, whips of electricity scouring his body. Niles was already at the tank, furiously beating his fists on the glass, tears streaming liberally from his eyes. The gun clattered to the ground, dropped by shaking hands, and Gavin took one aborted step toward them before—   
  
“Oh dear. That seems rather uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Such a pity.”   
  
The words were whispered as if directly into his ear and Gavin spun, heart beating wildly. Dr. Amanda Stern stood there, so close to him he should’ve been able to feel her body heat. There was not a scratch, not a blemish, anywhere on her.   
  
This was… It was unbelievable. She’d been too far away to reach them so quickly. And he’d _shot_ her. His aim had been true, his bullet hadn’t missed. This couldn’t be… It _couldn’t!_   
  
“Rather impressive, isn’t it?” she said, the chorus of Connor’s screams backing her soft words. Conversationally, she held up the remote-like device and examined it with a blasé interest. “The wonders of CyberLife technology. Simply marvelous.”   
  
Niles, having given up on his fruitless endeavor, turned to Stern and let loose a snarl of fury. Without hesitating, he charged, screaming, “Turn it off!” But his snapping teeth met no flesh, his sharpened nails found nothing to rend. He staggered, unable to stop his momentum and, with a bright flash of blue, he passed completely through her form and crashed into the ground on the other side.   
  
Gavin took another step back. She— She wasn’t there. She was some sort of… illusion. Or hologram!? He gulped, eyes wide.   
  
“Ah, I see the severity of the situation has finally dawned on you, Corporal. Here I stand, hundreds of miles away from you, safe and secure at Headquarters. And yet I can look you in the eye with no trouble. A shame it took such drastic measures for you to understand.” She held out a hand, gesturing to where Connor was still madly convulsing.   
  
There was nothing he could do. Nothing… Nothing he could fight her with. This technology was so far beyond him, he couldn’t even _begin_ to think of how to disable it. He couldn’t shoot his way out of this. He couldn’t shit talk til he annoyed her into giving up. Stern was totally, completely in control of the situation and he was powerless to stop her.   
  
So he did the only thing he could. Gavin dropped to his knees. “Please. I’ll do whatever the fuck you want, just turn it off. You’re gonna fuckin _kill_ him, I’m _begging_ you!” The very thought of grovelling like this rankled him but he wasn’t about to let some stupid thing like pride get in the way of saving Connor’s life. He would weather whatever consequences she doled out as long as Connor survived.   
  
Stern took her time with deciding, tapping one finger to her chin with a lazy ennui. Niles stared up at her from his prone position, a steady, ceaseless trill mingling with the tears rolling down his cheeks. Connor’s haunting screams continued, his voice growing more hoarse by the second as he shredded his throat raw. Gavin clenched his fists, his nails cutting into his skin.   
  
After what seemed like an eternity of Stern’s merciless brown eyes staring him down, she hummed out a curious sound. “Hm, trainable, indeed. Alright, Corporal, I’ll indulge you. Fifty-One still has things it can offer us, after all. Even _if_ I’ve found an adequate replacement.” He watched her eyes dart to the side, staring down Niles where he was huddled upon the deck. “Yes, perhaps a reward is due to you. For all your hard work.”   
  
She pressed a button on her device and the silence that followed was deafening. Gavin watched Connor’s body hanging bonelessly in his bonds, still twitching sporadically, his mouth opening and closing with noises too soft for a human to hear. Visible damage streaked across his form, large portions of his armor-like scales flaking off into the blue-blood-tinged waters surrounding him. Savage striations covered him from head to tail, dark, jagged lines scored into his very skin. Burned and brutalized, he looked half-dead, floating listlessly in blessed unconsciousness. Gavin hoped, for his sake, that he remained that way. At least until the psycho-bitch with the control switch got around to that supposed “healing” for him that she’d referenced earlier.   
  
“Now, I believe you offered me ‘anything,’ is that correct?” the aforementioned psycho-bitch asked. “On your feet Corporal Reed, I have a task for you.”   
  
Shaking, Gavin rose from his knees, the sickening churning in his gut not at all caused by the tempestuous ocean outside. Like a good soldier, he stood, awaiting his orders.   
  
Stern looked pleased. “Very good,” she said, pressing a different button on her device. Gavin braced himself, completely at the mercy of whatever she had prepared for him.   
  
From beneath the still-illuminated console, a compartment opened, one Gavin had never realized was there during his weeks of pouring over sealed files. Inside a pair of manacles rested, the two cuffs bolted together down the middle. “Take them,” he heard Stern say. And with shaking hands, he did. “Now, shackle the other RK, if you would.”   
  
Gavin froze, looking over at her in horror. He had known Niles for mere hours and yet, the very thought of putting these hulking binds on his companion, on Connor’s _brother,_ made him balk. “You can’t really expect me to—”   
  
“Do it, Gavin.”   
  
It was Niles who had spoken from his place on the ground. He looked up, blue eyes no longer tearful but instead resolute. He got to his feet, his farcical outfit still swishing with every move, and held out his hands. “You must. _We_ must.” Gray eyes met blue, an unspoken agreement passing between them. _For Connor._ _  
_ _  
_ Gavin clasped the manacles tight around Niles' wrists. Stern hummed in approval.   
  
“They were built for its predecessors,” she began. “We’ve had some trouble in the past, keeping them docile. And, while I’ve never seen a landbound variety such as this, I trust they will work just as effectively on it, too.” Stern inspected Gavin’s handiwork with a neat little nod and, seemingly satisfied, turned back to stare up at Connor’s dangling body. “This is a great opportunity for us, you know. Our remote laboratories have, thus far, been too small to keep more than one RK at a time. But you came to me bearing more gifts than even you knew. This… ability. This human-like facade. We at CyberLife have studied dozens of its kind and not a one has ever displayed such a talent. Until now, that is. Perhaps a new breed?”   
  
Stern looked away, peering up at Connor’s tank with a clinical curiosity. Bracing her hands behind her back, she spoke, calm and deliberate. “ _Regis katafractorius._ The ‘armored king.’ That was what we named them.” Climbing up and _through_ the tank, Stern’s hologram reached out, her hand drawing a line down Connor’s bloody cheek. “Their discovery has been a phenomenal asset to us in the last decade. We’ve made such advances in medicine, in biology, in electronics and engineering and countless other disciplines. We at CyberLife have prospered from their introduction and have, thus, improved the world with our technology. We have helped countless people, saved lives, improved living conditions. CyberLife is the reason our nation prospers. And no single man was ever going to threaten our dedication to _progress.”_   
  
She turned, looking down upon the two of them from within the fouled water. “You never had a chance here, Corporal Reed. Every single move you’ve made has been by design. Your assignment to this mission; your stationing here overnight; your access to Specimen 51’s terminal— All of that was our doing. We have been monitoring your progress this entire time.”   
  
Gavin’s mind was spinning. He jumped up to his feet. “But _why?!_ Why the fuck would you _do_ that? What the hell were you doing that you needed to plan all of this around _me?!”_   
  
Stern smiled. It was an unnerving sight. “Gavin Jacob Reed. Born October 7th, 2002. Single-mother, working-class. No father on record. Orphaned at the age of twelve and shuffled from foster home to foster home for five years. You left quite the record of delinquency and petty crime behind you in Queens, Corporal.”   
  
Her cold eyes pinned him down like an insect on a felt mat and Gavin felt the blood drain from his face. She’d certainly done her fuckin homework, hadn’t she?   
  
She continued. “An unremarkable urchin who’s only redemption came in the form of a prosperous military career? You’re right to question your usefulness to our cause. But perhaps it is that very lack of importance that made me choose you, Corporal. A man nobody would miss. Or… perhaps it isn’t. I don’t really think it matters in the end. Not when you’re already in play.”   
  
Gavin growled. He was sick of her dancing around the subject. “In play for what?” he asked, gritting his teeth.   
  
She chuckled. The sound chilled him to the bone. “I suppose it doesn’t surprise me that you need it all spelled out for you. You’re here, Gavin Reed, to help us with our experiments. After an exhaustive screening process, you were deemed the perfect candidate. You had every quality we were looking for. And you have done well thus far. We’ve learned a great deal from watching you with the specimen.”   
  
Gavin’s mind raced thinking back to every single thing he’d spoken to Connor about these last few months. Now that he knew he’d been monitored the whole time, he felt sick at the thought of what he might’ve inadvertently revealed. He’d taken the lack of repercussions surrounding the entire thing as amnesty, as being overlooked. He should have known better. He’d been so naive.   
  
Before his thoughts could spiral too far, though, the loud creak of the entryway door sounded off in tandem with the crashing thunder scouring the sea. Gavin looked over, his breath hitching as a large man stepped through in a spray of salted air.   
  
“Ah yes, Captain Fowler. How nice of you to join us.”   
  
And it _was_ Fowler! His captain stood there, straight-backed and unreadable as ever, uniform pressed and perfectly situated even this late at night. For just a moment, Gavin felt hopeful, looking to this man for guidance once again right when he needed it most.   
  
But his mind soon caught up with him. It had been Stern who’d announced him. Who’d welcomed Fowler to the research deck. She knew him… Oh fuck, Stern _knew_ Fowler! She stood calm and assured even with her secret project on full display. Not a good sign, oh _shit!_ They had to be in on this together.   
  
Despite his writhing thoughts, Gavin still called out, clinging to the last remnants of him that had respected this man, that had admired his leadership, that he had entrusted his life to on more than one occasion. He didn’t _want_ this to be true. “Captain!” It was only one word but it was laced with desperation and fury. _Please,_ Gavin thought.   
  
But it was with a heart of lead that he watched Fowler approach, his pace measured, face inscrutable, demeanor calm. He very clearly wasn’t here to help his wayward subordinate.   
  
Others shuffled in behind him, familiar guards bedecked in full battle gear now taking up strategic positions across the research deck. CyberLife Security Officer Gavin Reed stood amidst a sea of coworkers and acquaintances and saw only his inevitable doom. His only consolation was that he didn't see Chel. He didn’t see Tina or Chris, either. His battered heart clung tightly to that last vestige of hope.   
  
Fowler now stood before Stern, clicking his boots together and standing at attention. “Madam Director.”   
  
“Punctual as always, I see. Yes, well, as you may have noticed, we’ve had a rather egregious security breach. I trust you will take care of this little issue?”   
  
“At once, ma’am.” Without the slightest bit of hesitancy, Fowler turned his dark eyes Gavin’s way and said, “Hands behind your back, Reed.   
  
“Captain. What the fuck are you doing? Do you see what she’s doing here? Do you fuckin _see_ him in the tank?” There was a rawness in his voice that he couldn’t contain, the smallest shred of him. “She’s hurting people! And you’re just gonna—! Gonna fuckin _go along_ with that?!”   
  
“It is not my place to question CyberLife’s orders. When the Director requests something, I do it, no questions asked. Now move.”   
  
Gavin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How had he ever respected this man, someone who would turn a blind eye to so much suffering? How could he have ever been in favor of someone who would sit idly by as they tortured innocent beings? He was absolutely disgusted by how wrong he’d been. Fowler was just as complicit in this horror show as Stern.   
  
But before he could voice anymore objections, a sturdy shove from Fowler sent him stumbling forward. “Walk,” that deep voice instructed him as he was jostled towards the entrance.   
  
Glaring for all he was worth, Gavin spared a moment to glance back, taking in the chilling tableau set before him: Connor, grievously injured and scarred; Niles, shackled and cowed; Stern, arrogant, triumphant.   
  
His abject failure dogged his stuttering steps as he was herded away into the stormy night.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
He didn’t even make it halfway across the deck before everything went insane.   
  
One moment Gavin was being led away, sure only of a bleak future, the march of a man to the gallows. And the next—   
  
“Grenade!” someone shouted as an explosive was lobbed into the room. Instinct and training had Gavin crashing into the deck immediately, taking cover behind one of the desks. He felt another body land on top of him (Fowler’s?), covering his ears with large, calloused hands. Just in time, too, as the incendiary made impact not too far from him, the deafening blast assaulting his ears and leaving him dazed, head spinning.   
  
He looked up, flaming debris littering the deck and a thick screen of smoke obscuring his vision. He saw boots approaching and heard the muffled sound of gunfire. The weight was lifted off his back and he looked up.   
  
“Time to go, pipsqueak!” he heard faintly. And through the haze and disorientation, he felt a smile pulling at his lips.   
  
His feet were unsteady as Chel pulled him up but he managed to stay upright enough for her to start ushering him along. “Quick, we have to go!” she said, the tattoo of gunfire continuously sounding behind him. “Not much time, lover boy, get!”   
  
She moved away from him and he was left to shamble forward on his own, gray eyes roving the research deck in search of… In search of…?   
  
Like a slap to the face, it hit him. Connor! Niles! Gavin coughed in the thick smog but he stayed his course, hoping like hell he was going in the right direction. And yes, there! In front of him on the ground was Niles, the shifter lying unconscious, a worrying stream of blue leaking from his left ear. Gavin shambled over to him but, as he neared, he saw a figure already kneeling beside him. This new man looked a great deal like Niles right down to the smattering of freckles dotting his naked body. When he looked up, regarding Gavin with a sneer, he saw the man had brown eyes.   
  
“C-Connor?” he rasped out, his own voice inaudible to his ears.   
  
The pale man frowned as he hefted Niles up into his arms, mouthing a soft, “No,” in response. “We can’t get him. We can’t, we— We have to leave. Come on.”   
  
But Gavin dodged him, running unsteadily past to look up at the still-intact tank some feet ahead. And he saw that the man had spoken true for Connor was still within, the restraints having given way in the blast and his savaged body lying coiled along the bottom. His eyes were open, half-slitted and pained. Gavin ran to him without question, sinking to his knees and placing a hand upon the glass. With halting movements, Connor moved an arm, bringing his own hand over to align with Gavin’s. _G… O…_ He tapped out, the weak vibrations barely managing to filter through. _L… O… V… E…_ _  
_ _  
_ “I’ll come back for you! I will! I promise!” And Gavin Reed, tears streaking down his dirty face, brought two fingers up to his lips, kissing the tips before pressing them back onto the glass. Within, Connor sighed and closed his eyes once more.   
  
And Gavin ran.   
  
Ran through the smoke, through the battle raging on. Ran through the door where Chris and Tina stood, waving him forward as they returned fire to their former colleagues. Ran after the darting form of the pale man who carried Niles in his arms. Ran through the passageways and up to the main deck, his still-cuffed hands hobbling his gait. Gavin ran through the rain, through the wind, through the splashing waves, ran from his friends, from his job, from his life. He ran from the prisoner he had vowed to save, from Connor locked away in his tank, now halfway to dead thanks to Gavin’s own foolish actions.   
  
But what Gavin couldn’t outrun were the bullets fired at him by the sailors that had swarmed the ship. Between one moment and the next, he felt the impact of one burning across his arm, the sudden shock and pain of it slamming him against the railing. The slick metal beneath his feet offered no purchase and Gavin felt his heart stutter as he went airborne. Up and over he went with no way to catch himself, falling _down down down_ below into the churning waves below. His lungs filled with seawater and the brine stung his wounds even as his eyes burned from the smoke and salt. He could see the sky illuminated in flashing bursts of lightning, the oppressive outline of the ship above him, the crashing seafoam of the waves, the burrowing funnels of bullets raining down from above. The steady, diffusing stream of red flowing from his arm. He felt faint, weak, his attempts as swimming bound and injured only dragging him further down into the depths. And as the adrenaline finally abated and he was left to contemplate his imminent demise, he thought it ironic. He had spent so long with the ocean beneath his feet, had learned to respect her, to fear her, to admire the creatures of her depths. And yet, he had never expected to surrender to her.   
  
As blackness overtook him, his last thoughts were for Connor, still locked away and suffering for Gavin’s grievous mistakes. He had failed him. Had broken his promise.   
  
The storm had come. And he had not been prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first off, I'm sorry. But believe me when I say it was just as harrowing for me to write as for you guys to read. (Amanda straight-up terrifies me, omg.) >_<
> 
> Second, even _bigger_ sorry because I may have to go on hiatus with this one for a hot minute. I've exhausted my backlog of pre-written chapters and I also have a desperate need to work on my Convin Secret Santa project. So this fic is gonna have to take a backseat for a little while. I'm so sorry!! I know this is like... the worst place ever to cut! If I can manage to get chapter seven finished and edited by next week, I'll go ahead and post it but no guarantees. But finger's crossed I get my SESA fic done quickly so I can return to this. I really don't wanna leave y'all hanging, especially on _this_ chapter! >_<
> 
> Once again, big thanks to sheepishwolfy for giving this a read-through and helping me get it into shape. 
> 
> And thanks to all of you for reading! I'm so humbled by all your generous comments and kudos and bookmarks. Thank you for making this silly little idea into something I can be proud of. Y'all are the best. 
> 
> Til next time!
> 
> ~Veil


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